Ryan Fox shot 3-under 69 to open a three-stroke lead after two rounds of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic on Friday.
Golfing News & Blog Articles
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Bohannan: This Time The Tour Is Listening To Players But In NIL World Is That Enough?
The Desert Sun’s Larry Bohannan considers the latest players v. brass showdown in golf. He highlights some of the differences between the last 1960’s battle the players had with the PGA of America that led to the breakaway PGA Tour and brings up a key point.
While the stakes and issues have changed—no TikTok and NFT’s back then—Bohannan notes that this time the leadership has listened and made adjustments with more money that comes in going out to players. While it’s debatable whether PIP’s and Comcast Biz Solutions Top 10’s do much to make the sport more fan friendly, they have satisfied some players into supporting the PGA Tour model.
However, something else may be driving player thinking (or greed?).
Mickelson’s point is that images of Mickelson, or any player playing in a tour event, are controlled by the PGA Tour. If you want to use a photo of a PGA Tour player for commercial purposes, well, the PGA Tour controls that image, not the player. So the tour has to be paid for use of the image.
That might seem normal, since other sports have similar regulations. But in a day when college athletes are making hundreds of thousands of dollars since the U.S. Supreme Court announced it is the athletes that control their name, image and likeness, should PGA Tour players have the right to control their NIL rights, or is that something the tour must control to operate successfully?
A Tradition Unlike Any Other: The Quest For The Slime Green Jacket
I’m not going to quibble with Nickelodeon’s success in reimagining live sports in a way that’s fun for the kids since their NFL reviews have been glowing slime green.
Still, I’m not envisioning a scenario where the Lords of Augusta
Brian Steinberg of Variety reports on Nickelodeon teaming up with producer Bryan Zuriff of The Match fame, Excel Sports and players like Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Lexi Thompson to bring us the Slime Cup. The final “match” will be played in the Rose Bowl and the winner is to receive a Slime Green jacket .
“We are inventing our own golf match,” says Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, in an interview. “It’s definitely different.”
Confirmed participants include: top-ranked professional golfers like Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Lexi Thompson; NFL superstars, Saquon Barkley and Justin Herbert; Terry Crews; and Nick stars Isaiah Crews, Kate Godfrey, Jaidyn Triplett and Tyler Wladis. Nickelodeon’s Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, who has provided commentary for the network’s Wild Card game-casts, will do the same for “Slime Cup.” Other participants could be named at a later date.
Callaway’s 2021 Financial Report: $3.1 Billion
Callaway’s 2021 Financial Report – Key Takeaways
2021 full-year sales over $3.1 billion, nearly double 2020Topgolf revenue more than $1 billionGolf equipment sales top $1.2 billion2021 net profit is $322 million2022 sales expected to reach $3.8 billionCallaway’s 2021 financial report isn’t telling us anything we didn’t really expect but it’s still startling to see the numbers in print.
$3.1 billion in sales.
$3.1-freaking-BILLION.
That’s nearly twice what Callaway sold in 2020. And before you cry, “Yeah, but COVID,” it’s also 82 percent more than 2019.
We’ve often said in our past dives into Callaway’s financial reports (and Acushnet’s as well) that while the headlines tell the happy story, the details provide balance. But this time, there’s not much nuance. The headline is the story.
Best Titleist Golf Balls
Number one on tour, number one in sales, and number one in Ball Lab scores. Titleist has been doing something right and they’ve been doing it right for quite a while. What is the best Titleist golf ball however? Well that will depend on a number of factors. Let’s take a look and see what will be the best Titleist ball for you.
Best Overall: Titleist Pro V1
The Key Point: If you want quality, consistency, and performance ball after ball, the Pro V1 remains a no brainer.
This shouldn’t surprise anybody. For two decades, the conversation around the best premium ball to use has always begun with the Titleist Pro V1 and this list will be no different. Both in the Ball Lab and robot ball testing, the Pro V1 is the model of consistency and performance, taking top marks in both settings. The ball’s profile meets the widest variety of golfers of the Titleist lineup and rarely would ever be a bad choice. The Titleist Pro V1 comes at a price premium, but for many the value is still there for the level of trust it provides. It remains the best Titleist golf ball you can buy overall.
Flight: Mid-low – Feel: Medium – Spin: Mid
PGA Tour "Executives" Respond To Mickelson...Anonymously
Golf.com’s James Colgan spoke to multiple PGA Tour executives who took issue with Phil Mickelson’s “obnoxious greed” remarks from that liberal democracy, Saudi Arabia. But at least he signed his name to his opinions even if they suggest he’s only about the money at this point.
A rebuttal was surely warranted given some obvious fibs and exaggerations by Mickelson. Yet not finding one Tour executive willingly going on the record highlights how much the organization is all bluff and no backbone.
Just like giving players waivers to play in Saudi Arabia with almost no meaningful strings, rebutting anonymously only says to the world: Phil was wrong but not wrong enough to sign our names to it.
Regarding the Global Home’s return volleys, Colgan writes:
In conversations with GOLF.com, PGA Tour executives painted a far different picture of the economics of golf’s largest professional tour, characterizing it as a highly successful, multi-billion-dollar business model built around its media-rights deals — and with constituents who’ve largely been content with that structure. (It should also be noted that the Tour operates as a federally registered non-profit, which means though it donates large sums to charity it also is sheltered from paying hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.)
Sponsor invite Theegala atop suspended Phoenix
Sahith Theegala was 7 under with two holes left when the first ound of WM Phoenix Open was suspended because of darkness. K.H. Lee was second after a 6-under 65.
Koepka: Fall to No. 20 in rankings 'embarrassing'
Brooks Koepka said it's "embarrassing to be 20th" in the Official Golf World Rankings while attributing the fall to injuries.
ESPN, Omaha Productions To Develop Golf Manningcast
And let me make myself clear on desert golf. I don’t just not like it. I despise it. The courses are all the same. Fairways meandering through phony mounds and airlifted boulders, papier mâché mountains in the distance, slow greens, fake waterfalls, decorator palm groves, Brooke Shields lagoons, reptile exhibits and much cactus can you do? DAN JENKINS as Bobby Joe Grooves
Euro Tour's Indian Open off, China Open ppd.
The Indian Open was canceled and the China Open was postponed as restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic continued to cause problems on the European Tour.
THE BEST CART BAGS OF 2022
The Best Cart Bags of 2022
How long have you had your cart bag? Five years? More?
A lot of golfers rock golf bags I haven’t seen in a long time. Some date back to the ’90s .
But why do they still have those bags? They can’t have changed that much, right?
WRONG!
Quadrilateral: Major(s) News & Notes, February 10, 2022
And let me make myself clear on desert golf. I don’t just not like it. I despise it. The courses are all the same. Fairways meandering through phony mounds and airlifted boulders, papier mâché mountains in the distance, slow greens, fake waterfalls, decorator palm groves, Brooke Shields lagoons, reptile exhibits and much cactus can you do? DAN JENKINS as Bobby Joe Grooves
Activate Your Body to Make More Short Putts
It’s easy to put a chalk line down on a flat green and then putt along that line. But how do you take that smooth putting swing to the course and sink more putts? Unfortunately YOU CAN’T. That’s why I am so excited to report the I found a revolutionary way to sink more putts inside 6 feet. To be a good putter you need to have an eye for the break on the green so that you can choose your line and swing up that line. Choosing the line is up to you. This blog is only going to help you “unfreeze your body” to swing up that line.
Brad Faxton is well recognized for his amazing putting stats. He agrees with finding the right line and focusing on the perfect impact on the center of your putter face as you swing directly up your target line. His primary trick for success is to avoid freezing up during your putt routine.
I know that my putting takeaway swing is shaky. I can see my putter jumping as I swing it back and even by rocking my shoulders. My freeze-up must be occurring after I take my last look at my target line and pause to relax my shoulders and mind. I must be locking up my body and you may be doing the same thing.
Brad Faxon uses perpetual motion to avoid freezing up. He also lines up his putter off the heel of his open leading foot.
Here is Brad’s 10 Second Swing Prep Solution
Choose your target line to account for the break and speed of your putt; make a few practice swings with the swing force needed to pass the hole and then step forward to make your putt. Brad’s technique is to keep his BODY IN MOTION. I couldn’t believe that this was a good idea as it really is the opposite to every thought that I know about calming my mind and body. He moves these 4 areas during the final 10 SECONDS before he makes his putt.
1/ Feet in Motion: Wiggle your toes and shifting your weight.
2/ Move Your Putter: Lift it and adjust it before you press your grip forward for the putt.
3/ Shift Your Grip: User your hands to add movement to your putter.
4/ Look up 2 times to visualize your line and distance.
I can see that many pros have adopted this technique but when I tried all of these actions, I lost my focus on my perfect swing up my target line. Fidgeting for 10 seconds was not ideal for me. My personal solution is to abbreviate Brad’s recommendations to avoid freezing up my body. After I line-up my putt and make 2 practice swings to pass the hole, I move up to the ball, take a final look at my target line while I make minor adjustments with my arms, hands and feet for the perfect setup and then (without pausing) I make my putt.
Lewis named captain of U.S. Solheim Cup team
Stacy Lewis, 38, will be the youngest American captain in Solheim Cup history in an event she won twice as a player.
Top 20 Courses under $100 in the U.S.
Fundamentally, ranking golf courses is a subjective exercise. Better players often prefer more challenging layouts. Less skilled golfers might appreciate wider fairways with fewer forced carries.
That said, the validity of any individual review isn’t tied to whether that golfer has a degree in golf course architecture or a preference for certain types of grasses.
If you’re a golfer, your opinion matters.
About TheGrint’s Rankings
To generate our rankings, we leveraged data from TheGrint, a golf handicap and stat-tracking service that also allows golfers to rate the courses they play. Think of it as something similar to Yelp for golf courses.
How to watch the PGA Tour's WM Phoenix Open on ESPN+
The WM Phoenix Open is the biggest party in golf. Here is how to watch this week on ESPN+.
The bleachers shook and the beer cans flew: Tiger's ace in Phoenix 25 years later
The images are indelible: Tiger Woods raising the roof, missing on high-fives; the fans yelling; and the empties flying. We look back at his famous hole-in-one from 25 years ago at TPC Scottsdale.
PGA best bets for the Waste Management Phoenix Open
The PGA tour heads to Scottsdale, Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open in one of the best golf events of the year.
